Andy Murray’s superb victory over Roger Federer in the Olympic final will have given him renewed belief that he can finally win a Grand Slam. The Scot is now second favourite to claim the 2012 US Open at Flushing Meadows in Queens, New York City, so can he finally win one of the big four? (Murray 7/2 US Open Outright).
It would have been easy for Murray to make just a token effort at the London Games after the disappointment of losing the Wimbledon final earlier this summer, but he seemed like a man possessed from the first time he hit a ball in anger.
The British number one appeared well up for the fight and his semi-final demolition of Novak Djokovic proved that Federer was always going to have a tough task on his hands to claim the one title that has eluded him to date.
But nobody expected Murray to dismantle the seven-time Wimbledon champion in the way he did on Sunday and the Brit confessed that it was the best tennis he has ever played.
Team GB have been excelling in most sports at London 2012 and Murray admitted that he had drawn inspiration from 10,000m champion Mo Farah’s gold medal performance ahead of the tennis final (Farah 5/4 5,000m Winner).
The challenge now for the world number four is to use his success as a springboard for further glory to fulfil his undoubted potential.
Murray is unlucky that he plays his tennis in an era with three other world-class stars, and in most other periods he would have won at least one Grand Slam event.
He has had four chances but never come close as Federer, on three occasions, and Djokovic at the 2011 Australian Open, have proved too good in the finals.
But the manner in which he took apart arguably the best player ever to pick up a racket proves that he does have the ability to win one of the big-four events.
Many pundits believe that the US Open represents his best chance of claiming a major and he reached the 2008 final only to run into an inspired Federer.
Rafael Nadal was too good in the semi-finals at Flushing Meadows last year but it could be argued that Murray is the in-form player going into the tournament.
The great John McEnroe feels there is a real chance that, on current form, the Glasgow-born star could end the year as the world number one if he can take the US Open and win the World Tour Finals – a tall order but one that is feasible.
Federer will clearly be a big threat in Queens as he has looked as good as ever this summer with yet another title at SW19, but Djokovic, while still one of the best around, is not the player he was when sweeping all before him in 2011.
Nadal is the unknown quantity as he was surprisingly beaten in round two at the All England Club before opting not to defend his Olympic title.
Fitness doubts remain about the Spaniard but on top form he will surely mount a serious defence of his title in the Big Apple.
But Murray will walk onto the courts at flushing Meadows as the Olympic champion and in the knowledge that he can beat any player on the opposite side of the net.
It has seemed in the past that Murray did not believe that he could win a ‘Slam and was beaten before he walked onto the court for the final, but Sunday’s heroics should mean that that particular hurdle will now be a thing of the past.
And the fact that he has flown straight to America to play in the Rogers Cup proves that Murray is a man on a mission which, he hopes, will end with US Open glory.